11.23.2010

Bird's Rookie Year: December 28, 1979

December 28, 1979

CELTICS STEAM ALONG, 118-97

Dave Cowens rediscovered his shooting touch and the Celtics discovered the much-discussed style difference between themselves and the Clippers was no myth, as the green-shirted invaders rolled to a 118-97 triumph before a sellout crowd of 13,845 last night.

The majority of the crowd was already headed home when this game ended, however, because the fast-breaking Celtics had demonstrated their best ball movement while expanding a 62-59 lead into margins of 26 at 101-75, 103-77 and 105-79. Cowens (27 points) connected on 13 of his first 20 shots, many on his patented fast-break trailers, and he had sufficient scoring help from the likes of Larry Bird and Cedric Maxwell.

You can figure out this game quickly enough when you learn that the Clippers had a total of nine assists in the first three quarters while falling behind by an 89-71 score. The Clippers also had 10 turnovers in the third quarter, good for 20 Boston points. Boston, meanwhile had assists on 27 of its first 41 baskets in that same three-quarter span.